


Introspective

by ticklishraspberries



Category: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:08:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29853717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ticklishraspberries/pseuds/ticklishraspberries
Summary: Sometimes, Ari thinks too much. But Dante has a way of taking his mind off things.
Relationships: Aristotle Mendoza/Dante Quintana
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Introspective

**Author's Note:**

> i’m re-uploading some of my old fics from tumblr here onto ao3. i know this isn’t my best work and i’m no longer active in this fandom, so let’s just pretend i posted it when i actually wrote it, mkay?

> _in·tro·spec·tive (adj):  
>  _ _characterized by or given to introspection, or the process of looking into oneself._

Sometimes, Ari thought too much. He didn’t try to deny it; he knew he was prone to overthinking things, falling into spirals of self-doubt and hate. During these times, he became as unknowable and unreachable as he was when Dante first met him. 

Or, at least, he thought he was. **  
**

Dante had come to know him better than Ari believed he did. And he knew exactly what to do when Ari got like this. The simple answer: leave him be. Let him have the time to think and be sad, and he would come back when he was ready. It was the best solution based on Dante’s fears of screwing things up. They were still quite early in their relationship, and Dante couldn’t bear the thought of pushing Ari’s boundaries and making him begin to rebuild his walls.

But this time, Ari had been distant for longer than usual, and Dante was starting to worry. He’d walked to his house and was greeted by Mrs. Mendoza, who greeted him as cheerily and lovingly as she always did. He stood and talked to her for a moment catching her up on the little details of his life; school, work, his mother’s pregnancy. But she could sense he wasn’t here for small talk, and quickly let him go back to Ari’s room, knocking gently on the door.

“Come in,” came Ari’s voice, and Dante pushed the door open.

Ari was lying on his back on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. When he realized it was Dante at his door and not his mother, he sat up. “Hey,” he said simply.

“Hey,” Dante said.

They didn’t need words. Dante simply sat down on the bed, and Ari moved beside him and laid his head across Dante’s lap. Dante played with his long hair, and Ari shut his eyes. They remained quiet for a few minutes, until Ari decided to speak.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t call,” he said, voice small and soft.

“It’s alright,” Dante replied. He knew this was something Ari couldn’t help; it was simply a part of loving him. “What was it this time?”

Ari shrugged. “A lot of things, I guess.”

“You can tell me.”

And Ari sighed, and sat up, resting his head on Dante’s shoulder. And he started talking, spilling words in the poetic way he always did though couldn’t see. And Dante stayed quiet, listening to every word, still running his fingers through Ari’s hair to comfort him as he spoke of the thoughts swirling in his head.

They wound up falling asleep in the bed, despite it being midday. Ari had confessed he hadn’t slept well the past few days because of his nightmares, so naturally, Dante insisted they take a nap. Dante woke up first, and Ari quickly followed. 

Ari smiled back at him, though it was weak.

“There we go,” Dante said, “I missed your smile.”

He blushed. “Shut up,” he said.

“Make me,” Dante replied, raising his eyebrows in challenge, attempting to lighten the mood a little.

He didn’t know he was expecting- a shove to the shoulder, or a _kiss_ , maybe, but Ari, with a newfound bought of energy, pushed him back against the bed and started tickling his sides, making him burst into a shocked fit of giggles.

“Ari!” he cried.

“What? You said to make you!” Ari replied.

The two of them wrestled on the bed for a moment; Ari was much stronger, but also much more ticklish, so it was a pretty equal fight. Fingers poked and prodded until they were both breathless and red-faced, lying back against the mattress, interlocking fingers.

Dante had missed this. Not the tickling specifically, but that was always a perk, though he usually didn’t find himself on the receiving end of it. He’d missed Ari smiling and laughing and being playful. He knew it was impossible for someone to be happy all the time, and he knew just because Ari was smiling and laughing now, he wasn’t cured or _fixed_. He knew he could never do that. But if he could be there to make the worst days feel a little better, he was willing to stick around through thick and thin.


End file.
